Poison In My Veins
by Xinia
Summary: The hunter has become the hunted as the Necros fall prey to a much greater and ancient force. The Elementals show their true nature as they try to fulfil another prophesy. What are the odds for Riddick? [set postCOR]
1. Prologue

**Howdy folks! There's nothing exceptionally new here, just a few errors that I found whilst re-reading. I should be updating with a new chapter soon, so stay tuned!**

**Disclaimer: You know it, I know it - no need to write it...**

**Xinia**

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**_Prologue_**

What they had calculated had effectively come to pass, but the Elementals were only beginning to unravel their plan. And it was for the progress of this mission that Aerion, the Wind Elemental, now stood in front of the high officials. The majestic hall was brimming with Elementals, some seated high in balconies, and others, sitting facing the council.

The hall was richly furnished, and behind the five high officials stood a gleaming silver statue of Plato, the Greek philosopher from ancient times. The five high officials, Elementals of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Quintessence, their leader, called for silence from the audience.

Aerion bowed to the authority and spoke in her usual, proud manner;

"My lords and ladies, what we had so dearly hoped for the past thirty years has come to pass at last." At these words, a murmur erupted from the hall, and Pollux, the Quintessence Elemental raised his hands to silence them,

"Aerion, that is indeed great news," he said, smiling, "Now we can move into the next phase of the plan," Aerion smiled and bowed once more,

"My lord, there is but only one problem," Pollux raised an eyebrow in response;

"The new Lord Marshall is an unwilling leader, I do not –"

"The more unwilling he is, the easier it becomes for us. Do not fear, Aerion, you have done well. I understand that you have made arrangements for the next phase already,"

"Yes, my liege. I have contacted the galaxy's most impressive mercenaries and assassins. They will arrive soon,"

"Good," Pollux smiled once more, the sunlight reflecting from his glowing robes, "You have our good will and permission to proceed."

Aerion bowed one last time as the meeting was called to an end. At that moment, four of the galaxy's most dangerous individuals were making their way to their designated coordinates.

- - - - -

_Beep_. Ah shit. _Beep_. No! Go away. _Beep_. Fuck! _Beep_.

Venera's eyes shot open and she slammed her alarm into silence. She groaned as she tried to get back to sleep, but now that she was awake she couldn't block out the incessant noise of the ship. She slowly dragged herself out of bed as the door flew open, flooding the small room with light.

"Captain Smith, ladies and gents," a smooth voice commented with a hint of amusement. He stood observing his captain, shaking her cropped hair that stood at odd ends,

"Get out, Jerome," she replied to his stare, without looking at him. He turned to go and Venera whispered;

"How close?"

"We're here," he replied, shutting the door behind him.

- - - - -

In her home planet of Aquila Major, Holly Kent was readying to launch her booster into space. The coordinates hung in front of her, scribbled on a piece of paper. Her slanting eyes, a legacy of her Asian heritage, were sparkling with enthusiasm and excitement. Her mother stood at the side of the launch pad, and waved merrily towards her daughter as she hit the ignition and sped off into the heavens.

- - - - -

Ishmael Hassan had always been taught to be early to every appointment by his father who had been the Head Captain of the Helion Prime air force thirty years ago. This military upbringing was the reason that he found himself the first one to arrive at their destination.

The giant cruiser hovered in space, about half a day's trip from the nearest planet, Lupus Five. His skiff had been reeled in as soon as he entered within half a kilometre of the ship's range. Inside, he looked around the vast hall, his footsteps echoing in the metal surroundings, and there, at the very end of the hall behind a long table, sat a pale white figure, obviously waiting for his arrival.

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**End of Prologue. Tell me what you thought about it - where does it need tweaking? Where do things work?**

**Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 1: Life and Death

**Hey! Well, I finally have some time to work on this story -- HSC is coming closer (final exams in year 12) but I have to relax a bit before then. Didn't touch this chapter much, just a few words here and there. Enjoy!**

**Xinia**

**Disclaimer: The usual Blah **

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**_Chapter 1: Life and Death_**

"My lord, what are your orders?" The young man looked around anxiously in the dark room. The curtains were drawn, the lights were off and all he could hear was his own raspy breathing. He called out again, his heart beating faster;

"S-sir?" More silence. He turned to go, forehead dripping with perspiration, when a low voice answered;

"What're you talking about?"

The young man turned around looking wildly for the source of the voice but failed to determine anything.

"A - about the Basilica, sire. A - and the Necromongers." At this there was a low growl, sounding like an awakening lion. The young man took a few cautionary steps backwards, readying to flee at the slightest chance of danger.

"I don't give a fuck," was the only reply he got, and there was utter silence once more.

"But, sire –" The air had barely passed through his lips when he found cold metal pressing against his neck, the hot breath of his new master and his eerie, silvery eyes flashing with annoyance;

"I told you to fucking leave me alone." He roughly pushed the man away who promptly scuttled out of the door, grateful to escape with his life.

Riddick sighed, unlike himself, and turned to face a closed door in the larger room. It was the reason he was still here, on this god-forsaken ship, amidst the ruins of a once great city. He took a few steps towards the door, changed his mind and abruptly slinked back into the shadows.

The darkness only made things worse; at one time his only friend, it now engulfed his body and soul and pressed around him, suffocating him. The events of the past few days reverberated in his mind and like a typhoon rattled his emotions and were "bloody fucking" with his mind. He still hadn't fully grasped what had happened and he didn't care in the least. He needed to get away and, _I will_, he promised himself, _As soon as I finish this job_.

It wasn't an army that was stopping him from leaving, but a pale figure that gently lay in the next room which asserted more influence than he could have thought possible. _Especially for a dead person_.

The light in the room was dim, enhancing the paleness of her skin even more. Her soft curls lay underneath her, cushioning the head of a woman who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

The countless candles placed around the room were a Necro custom, to which Riddick didn't have the will to fight. They created dancing shadows around the room, which gave the illusion that she was still breathing, and for a split second, Riddick's heart skipped a beat as he slowly entered the room.

His silver eyes betrayed more emotion than he would have normally allowed. But then, he had lost the last of his only family; first Imam and now Kyra. Riddick was, it seemed, destined to be lonely for the rest of his life.

Riddick's heart was beating faster than he could ever remember. He felt like he had been running for miles, his breath coming short and shallow. He wasn't accustomed to such feelings, such complex emotions. His brain was telling him with extreme force to use his legs and follow the route it had devised for his immediate escape. His heart, as they are inclined to do, promptly rejected the idea as he stared at the soft features of the girl he had grown to love. 'Love'. The word sent his heart into further spasms and he sank to his knees, gazing at her face. For the first time in his life, he failed to calculate the risk of his actions as he sat in the growing darkness, feeling alone in the universe once more.

If Riddick had been of right mind, he may have felt that his acute sense of danger had rang alarm bells in his brain, for right at that moment Dame Vaako was already contriving ways to get rid of him.

She stared at her husband pulling on his steel-toed boots. She hadn't forgiven him completely for failing that day but today, she felt, it would be in their best interest to start afresh. And for that, she needed to make Vaako believe that she was content with him once more;

"Dear husband, why are you still here?" She rounded on her husband, one hand placed on her hip. For a woman of short stature, she could enforce a great amount of power.

"I was just leaving, _wife_," Vaako growled in response. Sensing displeasure, Dame Vaako grabbed him below the elbow as he brushed past her and kissed him passionately. As she released him, he stared at her quizzically, trying to read her eyes and that smile. It only widened and she pushed him gently in the opposite direction;

"Go," she said with a laugh and with his mood considerably lightened, Vaako strode out of the compartment, still a little confused at what had just happened.

Behind his back, his wife was still smiling; it was a smile of a conniving and malicious woman,

"Dear husband, do you think I have so easily forgiven you for your little blunder? You're a bigger fool than I thought." She laughed to herself and caught her reflection in a nearby mirror,

"The breeder proved to be made of far stronger metal than you. And now he's our Lord" she purred, examining her mahogany coloured body wrapped in blue.

"But how to rectify this situation?" she asked her reflection, who was too busy admiring herself. After a few minutes silence, her eyes lit up with excitement and she whispered to herself,

"The girl…yes, of course. Perhaps he's not as strong as he would like us to believe." She smiled broadly to her reflection, adoring the way the dress embraced her curves and marvelling at her own brilliance.

It was later that afternoon that Dame Vaako was seen striding purposefully towards Riddick's chamber, dressed in traditional mourning wear. Wearing a pure white dress, she stood out against the black demeanour of the basilica and earned herself many raised eyebrows and whispers as she flowed past. But she didn't care. Soon, she would become the wife of the Lord Marshall and she'll take care of these whisperers accordingly.

Presently, she was concentrating on contorting her face to her saddest appearance as she approached Riddick's chambers. The doors slid opened silently and she bravely stepped into the dark room.

"Lights," she commanded, and the large room was flooded with light, illuminating every corner of it. Riddick lay on a grand couch, one arm hanging off over the edge, the other being used as a cushion,

_Asleep_, Dame Vaako thought to herself, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Smiling, she quietly approached the large body of the new Lord Marshal and gently stroked his face. In a flash, Riddick grabbed her hand as she let out a shriek of surprise,

"What the fuck do you want?" He asked, tightening his grip on her wrist and wringing her arm. She winced slightly and replied,

"My lord, I only came to offer my solace for your loss." She smiled sadly at Riddick, whose face had become tense, with a muscle twitching at his jaw.

"Bullshit you have," he growled and released his grip. He got up and walked into the nearby room and emerged shortly later, carrying a body wrapped in white sheets. Dame Vaako gasped and the blood drained from her face,

"My lord, what are you doing?" She rushed to him breathless, blocking his way.

"Get out of my way if you want to keep your teeth," he growled in reply. Dame Vaako was shocked, and stepped immediately out of his way. But quickly remembering why she was there, she immediately stepped back. Riddick was growing impatient, and bared his teeth like a guard dog.

"My lord…Riddick, please. Think about what you are doing. She needs a proper resting place. You cannot just 'dump' her anywhere." She silenced herself, waiting for Riddick's reaction. He made to go once more, but was pulled back by Dame Vaako's whisper;

"She deserves it. You owe her a final resting place, with dignity and honour." She had done it. Riddick stood still, making up his mind, and once again, his heart numbed the warning of his brain.

"Fine," he murmured, as he stepped back inside, placing Kyra's limp body back in her room.

Dame Vaako let out a sigh of relief and composed herself once more. For a second she thought her plan was going to fail, _but you could always count on the weakness of men_, she thought.

In the meantime, Dame Vaako wasn't the only one conspiring towards Riddick's death. Venera and Jerome had walked into a large hall enclosed in the cruiser and walked up to a long table at the very end of it. Sitting with bowed head, as if in prayer, was a woman with wispy white hair and long flowing robes. She looked extremely out of place; her white attire glowing eerily around her metal surroundings.

"Elemental," Jerome whispered.

She looked up as the two companions reached her and smiled wearily at them. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could create a sound, Venera questioned;

"Who do we have to kill?" Aerion smiled in reply, shaking her head a little and replied quietly,

"Richard B. Riddick."

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**Dun dun dunnn...what did you think? Let me know - even if it is simply one word.**

**Until next time!**


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